We are soaking up the last little bits of fall around these parts – even though a major snow storm is expected tonignt. i don’t quite feel ready for winter, but who ever really is? 🙂
i share a lot about my home on instagram, but i thought it might be nice to have it all one place here on my blog – thankyou to everyone who has followed me on here over the years, i appreciate you all ♥ i’ve also shared about how over the past year or more, i have been simplifying how i decorate and scaling waaaay back on the amount of seasonal stuff i keep and store.
i’ve designated specific spaces in our home for holiday/seasonal decorations and i try to keep to those same spots to avoid over-buying (we all have those in-store “this is so cute but i don’t have a place for it but i will figure it out when i get home and i love it so much so i will buy it” moments) and to keep it simple! I used to love having things & more things to decorate with, but as i get older i’m finding that less is more – and that “less” is so much more appealing… of course i love to decorate our home, of course i love to make our home cozy & comfortable & inviting with beautiful things ♥ but i discovered that the “managing & organizing” all of that stuff was weighing me down and controlling me! i wanted to be rid of the burden of having to always go though & reorganize storage spaces over and overrrrrrr again.
so by keeping it simple and only applying seasonal changes to a few standard areas in our home, holiday decorating mainly, became a joy as opposed to something that i dreaded or felt like “i had to do”
here is a short list of the areas on the lower level of our home
that i decorate & swap/add things seasonally to :
entryway wreath
entryway bench
kitchen table
kitchen wreath
kitchen frame
pantry doors
living room end table
living room faux mantle
i like to add a wreath to the open shelves in our kitchen during the holidays
(just for fall & Christmas) throughout the rest of the year there is nothing on it.
our kitchen is the most lived in area of our home – our table and island are always occupied and the open cabinets are stocked with things we use on a DAILY basis as opposed to stuff that just looks cute but has no function – the best thing i’ve discovered/learned throughout this whole process is that when i’m looking for ways to make the spaces in my home work functionally – functional can also look pretty & nice! …for example, do you need new kitchen towels? look for some that you love and would be pretty to have out on display in a simple wire basket – on a counter or behind your kitchen sink – and all the while freeing up some space in your kitchen drawers 🙂
the doors to our pantry are white and hold two small wreaths or hangings very nicely.
i find those easy to swap seasonally with minimal storage – i have a few designated shelves in our basement for the wreaths i have – i store them in large white garbage bags that have the cinch pull tie things – i stack them on top of each other with a piece of cardboard in between for the ones i’m worried about getting crush or squished.
when it comes to frames i always buy white – they match and hold anything & everything
and they make whatever is in the frame stand out and pop.
this frame from hobby lobby is on some corner shelves in our kitchen – there are several pieces of artwork stored in the frame – i swap them out for every holiday or just when it’s nice to have a bit of a change.
my husband built this faux mantle for me a few years ago – the collection of white pitchers & laura ingalls wilder home wood sign always stays – the flowers & foliage for every season changes! spring flowers – small American flags for summer – fall sunflowers & white billy balls/wire snowflakes for Christmas. having a consistent neutral base to start with makes seasonal decorating so much easier.
i also like to change this small wreath in our living room
along with a knick knack or two on the table below it
this year i found the light up acorns at bed bath & beyond on clearance for only $1
when i saw them i visualized in my decorating head 🙂 right where i wanted them to be.
i didn’t have to think about where i would put them even if i didn’t have the space
or decide to just buy them because they were on clearance for a dollar then figure out what to do with them later.
remember just because something is on clearance doesn’t mean you need it.
one dolla is more expensive then no dollas 🙂
they were the only seasonal decor i purchased for fall this year (apart for some yarn to make the yarn wreath in the picture above) and i’m so glad i did! they fit in with my simple white theme and add a bit of twinkle to our nights in the living room ♥
how has your seasonal decorating changed over the years? are you overwhelmed and dread dragging the Christmas tree out or are you a pro at keeping it simple? i’d love to hear & learn from you all in the comments below & i hope this helps give new perspective on simple everyday ways to manage your home ♥ much love to you
making your house a home 